Even the most sensible dieter can be lured into a fad diet by outrageous claims and seemingly easy results. However, there are a few fads out there that can be incredibly dangerous, especially if you are not in good physical condition. While some fad diets are harmless and are designed to make only your wallet lose weight, there are many irresponsible fads out there that could do a lot more damage. Here are just a few that every dieter should ignore.

1. Starvation Diets –

While fasting is a religious practice that many swear by, if you have never fasted before, it is all too easy to harm your body. It is especially important to avoid this type of diet when there are extreme temperatures. For example, fasting in winter is not advised since your body will need more calories to keep warm. Fasting in summer can cause a myriad of health problems, especially if you become dehydrated.

2. Unsafe Purging Diets –

To put it simply, surviving for a weekend on some pre-packaged juice and supplements is not a smart idea. Besides the natural reaction of spending all of your weekend running to the bathroom, this type of diet can quickly deplete your body’s natural resources. You can easily run too low on your potassium, sodium and water levels, and this can lead to dehydration or in severe cases, a heart attack.

3. The tapeworm diet –

Does this one really need to be stated? Judging from the amount of people who have bought the idea hook, line and sinker and visit the website, sadly, yes. Having a parasite take up residence inside your body is a bad idea. Yes, you may lose weight, but you are risking permanent harm to your internal organs. Parasites are something everyone should avoid, not welcome.

The last entry on this list illustrates that desperate people will go to desperate measures, even if they know better. While 98% of us would probably recoil from the thought of welcoming Mr. Tapeworm into our stomachs, there are those that may actually stop and think, “well, gee, that would be nice – I could eat whatever I want.” It is this segment of the population that is most at risk for being harmed by fad diets.

While this is certainly an extreme example, we included it for one main reason. There are many fad diets out there that are just as dangerous – if not more so – than the tapeworm diet. The bottom line – if it doesn’t sound healthy, if it is not something your doctor would recommend, if it involves putting your body through extreme stress, it is not worth it.

Keeping the right perspective on fad diets is essential and that is something that no dieter should ignore. Losing weight is important, but not at the cost of your health. Stick to the tried and true methods of eating right, exercising regularly and staying motivated. It’s a lot healthier than the alternatives.